HYDERABAD: Policemen meant to enforce the law by duly discharging their duties are increasingly seen troubling the public for their personal interests. So suggests a string of incidents that have been reported in the city recently.
In one of the recent instances, a 65-year-old senior citizen Venkata Ramana, suffering from a chronic health disorder, and his wife Syamala were rendered homeless by a realtor who was reportedly helped by some policemen from Miyapur police station.
The realtor Raju had been eyeing the land owned by the senior citizen couple for some time. He soon found an opportunity when the couple had to visit the hospital for some treatment. The realtor entered their house and threw their furniture and other household stuff on the road.
When Venkata Ramana approached the Miyapur inspector K Ramesh and the then sub-inspector Ramulu, they were reluctant not only to register a case but even to accept the complaint for preliminary inquiry.
Syamala, speaking to Express, said: “I requested the senior police officers to help me at least in getting back the rice cooker and gas cylinder to prepare food for my husband.”
When contacted, Cyberabad commissioner Sandeep Shandilya said that the police officers from SI rank to senior officers, have been instructed to register cases when they receive a complaint. “People come to the police seeking justice. If cops are involved in troubling the public, they will be subjected to stern action,” the commissioner said.
As many as 9 policemen suspended
To deal with such errant policing, senior officers of the department have suspended nine police officers in Cyberabad, Rachakonda and Hyderabad police commissionerates.
In Rachakonda, one inspector and three SIs were suspended within a span of 15 days for their errant behaviour. LB Nagar traffic inspector Khaja Moinuddin was suspended on corruption charges while SIs working in Balapur, Pahadishareef and Keesara police stations were suspended for misbehaving with the public. Even in Hyderabad police commissionerate, three officers working in various police stations were suspended for their involvement in illegal cash exchange incidents.
On Saturday, the alleged voice conversation clippings of Rachakonda ACP Ramulu Naik were leaked. In the clippings, the ACP allegedly was talking to a person on land disputes.